The race covers 53 kilometres on a map. This translates to around 110 effort-kilometres, calculated by adding 10 times the height climbed and 3.3 times the altitude descended to the map distance, a measure that allows flat and steep courses to be compared. The journey involves climbing 3,994 m and descending 4,090 m.

In 2016, Frédéric Favre made a film about the legendary Swiss race – see trailer below.

The event was first organized in 1943 to test Swiss soldiers’ alpine skills. In 1949, three skiers died, leading the Swiss military to ban the race. In 1984, it was revived and has been run every two years since.

The more than 5,000 people competing in each event, compete in three-person teams called patrouilles.